MAIN MENU       About Us Inspection Request Contact Information Glossary Careers at Avalon  FOUNDATIONS  Deep Foundations Helical Piles and Helical Tiebacks For Enginners: Typical Helical Specifications Drilled Piers Liquefaction Solved   FOUNDATION REPAIR   Underpinning Horizontal Cracks Foundation Replacement Resistive Piers Underpinning Done Right   COMMERCIAL PROJECTS   Mega Foundations with Helical Piles Solar Panel Arrays with Ground Screws Pipeline Anchors Bridge Abutments Post-tensioned Concrete More Commercial Projects   RETAINING WALLS   Retaining Wall Basics Retaining Wall Fortification Solving Limited Access Using EPS Blocks Using W-beams  EXCAVATION  & GRADING Excavation & Drilling Grading   SPECIAL HILLSIDE   ISSUES Road Washout Repair Road Fortification Hillside Stabilization Challenging Hillside Additions & Patios Landslide Repair Impact Walls   OTHER PROJECTS   Avalon Supports the Famous Rockettes		USING W-BEAMS Retaining Wall Special Issue Retaining walls can be used to expand a backyard. The vertical steel beams are W beams, which are placed in deep holes, cleaned and primed to one foot below ground, and then concrete is poured in the holes. Later, pressure treated lumber or reinforced concrete is placed between the W beams to create the wall. Many owners opt for reinforced concrete between the W beams for a better-looking and longer-lasting wall. In this photo, the owner stained the concrete between the W beams with concrete stain. Avalon has fixed too many shabby retaining walls to consider putting our name to one that won't last. We prime our W-beams before pouring concrete to protect them from rust at grade level. To ensure the longevity of the retaining wall, we strongly recommend not using wood planks, but instead reinforced concrete or pressure-treated wood. Avalon builds concrete walls with continuous horizontal rebar between the W-beames. This wall is ready for more formwork and then concrete to encase the rebar. Such a wall is stronger than one built with wood planks or pre-fabricated concrete planks. Concrete walls can be stained soon after pouring. We recommend Smith's earth-friendly, water-based Moss Green, Olive Green, or Bark Brown for natural look. Avalon Structural, Inc. 181 Ridgeview Drive Aptos, CA 95003 (831) 479-4389 (office) info@avalonstructural.com Copyright © 2015 Avalon Structural, Inc. All Rights Reserved CA License 677116 Classifications:  B, C-8 Avalon is a general building contracting firm and does not employ engineers.